Persecution Blues: The Battle for The Tote

The count down is on for National SLAM Day, February 23rd 2012, to get you in the mood, tune into ABC 2, Jan 25th at 8.30pm to watch the story of how it all began, Persecution Blues: The Battle for The Tote.

Persecution Blues: The Battle for The Tote is a 57-minute documentary project that captures the essence of a movement, the heart of a community and the legacy of an iconic institution.

The Tote Hotel in Collingwood has stood as a beacon for Melbourne’s independent music scene for 30 years. As fashions and fads have waned, The Tote has stood firm as a guardian of timeless live rock and roll in Australia’s premier music city. Showcasing both major international acts and ambitious local performers, The Tote has built up a close knit, fiercely independent following, championing the power and raw energy of live music.

The Tote is a place far beyond the sum of its parts; a scruffy, beer stained interior resonates with the echoes of unforgettable performances, life changing experiences and an unshakeable sense of community. The effort required to keep the place running transcends common and financial sense, but instead is the life’s passion of Bruce Milne and his team of dedicated followers. Their tireless efforts have provided Melbourne with the most valuable resources; a cultural hub and a musical heart.

But what price is the soul of a city? In 2009 the Victorian Government introduced controversial new liquor licensing laws, designed to curb spiralling outbreaks of alcohol fuelled violence in the city. Enthusiastically encouraged by Police, and enflamed by headline hungry media, these draconian new laws seem set to change the face of Melbourne’s drinking culture forever.

Somehow, The Tote Hotel has slipped into the firing line. Despite a dearth of trouble, or arrests, or violence, The Tote has become as much an innocent victim as those the new law seeks to protect. Its only crime is to be bold, spontaneous and subversive in a modern, homogenised and inoffensive world.

Shot over seven years, Persecution Blues: The Battle for The Tote bears witness to this iconic location and the spirit it engenders. Featuring interviews with The Tote Hotel owner Bruce Milne, musicians, journalists, promoters, historians, bookers, punters, managers and politicians, this film introduces us to the people who hold the fate of The Tote in their hands. Driven by electrifying live band performances and an unrelenting soundtrack, Persecution Blues: The Battle for The Tote drags the viewer through a visceral experience like no other; this is real, elemental rock and roll by the people, for the people.

As the clock ticks down, can Bruce and the passion of a movement save The Tote? Can the community really stand up to the Politicians and power brokers? As the speeches are given and the chants echo in the streets, is anybody listening? Will Persecution Blues: The Battle for The Tote be a triumphant document of unity and redemption or a poignant elegy to yet another lost battle?